Sleeping Dogs Lie (''Only Fools and Horses'')

"Sleeping Dogs Lie" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 4 and first broadcast on 21 March 1985. In the episode, Del Boy and Rodney babysit Boycie and Marlene's cherished Great Dane, Duke.

Synopsis

As Albert watches an old horror movie and Rodney bemoans the lack of jobs in London, Del Boy has found another opportunity to be a millionaire by babysitting Boycie and Marlene's dog, Duke.

The Trotter brothers arrive at Boycie's house and meet Duke, a large Great Dane who eats steak, takes vitamin pills, and nearly kills people when playing with them.

The next day, Del and Rodney go to the park where Del reminds Rodney that it is his turn to take Duke for a run. As Del walks off to flirt with a beautiful woman walking a dachshund, Rodney is horrified to see Duke lying in the back of the Trotter Van with no sign of life, and rushes to tell Del the bad news. The Trotter brothers race back to the van and are relieved to see that Duke is still breathing, so they quickly drive him to the vet.

While waiting at the local veterinary clinic, Rodney says that he believes that Duke being ill is all because of Albert. When the vet enters having examined Duke, he tells them that Duke is not injured and his illness is a mystery. He asks what the dog has been eating and when Del mentions re-heated pork, the vet concludes that Duke has been struck down with salmonella poisoning. Since Albert ate the rest of the pork, Del phones home and tells him he must go to hospital.

Later that night, back at the flat, Boycie and Marlene phone the Trotters to check on Duke, and Del pretends to be Duke by doing a quick barking noise into the telephone receiver.

The next morning, the Trotter Brothers arrive at the hospital to pick up Albert, who complains about what the doctors were doing to him, but Del has good news for Albert, that there was nothing wrong with him, and Duke has also made a complete recovery and is back on his paws.

Before the Trotters can leave for the vet, a doctor then shows them a bottle of pills given to him by one of the sisters and says that patients are not allowed to bring their own medicine into the hospital. Del points out that those pills are Duke's vitamin tablets. Rodney denies it and says that he has got Duke's vitamin tablets and pulls out a bottle that looks identical to the other one. After seeing both bottles, Del realises the truth behind Duke's condition: Rodney had been feeding Duke with Albert's sleeping pills, and Albert has been on the "Bob Martins". Del and Rodney decide not to tell Albert but are overcome by the temptation to do so as they find the situation too hilarious. After a few jokes intended to reference the fact that he has taken a dog's vitamin tablets and with Albert confused as to why the boys are laughing and acting strangely towards him, Del and Rodney ask him to come with them and Del then says 'come on boy, come on' to end the episode with him and Rodney in bits.

Episode cast

First appearances

• Marlene Boyce (Although the character of Marlene, Boycie's wife, has been mentioned numerous times in the series from the very beginning, this is the first time she appears in person. Immediately the character reignites the running joke of Marlene having a fast reputation, as mentioned many times previously, with her flamboyant display in front of Del.)
• Duke

Trivia

• It is strongly hinted throughout the series that Del Boy and Marlene had an affair, as Del slaps Marlene's bum every time he sees her, and she usually kisses him hello and goodbye. Every time they do this in public, Boycie provides a warning look to Del, who smiles smugly. Also a running gag involves Del Boy making comments regarding Marlene he should not have known, but would have an explanation when a suspicious Boycie asked him about it. In the 1993 Christmas special 'Fatal Extraction' it was finally confirmed Del and Marlene had an affair when she worked in a betting shop in Lewisham Grove, Del was talking about it with his friends and trying to remember who the girl was that he was seeing who worked in the betting shop and later on in the episode it slipped out that it was indeed Marlene who had been his mystery woman in his younger years.

Episode concept

• The idea for the script was purely based on a gag someone told John Sullivan.^[1]

References

External links

• "Sleeping Dogs Lie" at BBC Online